Biz Buzz

Welcome to Biz Buzz, a monthly dispatch of interesting business news in the VC.

Opening

Ohana Pet Hospital opened at 4547 Telephone Road in Ventura and caters to dogs, cats, rabbits, rodents and select reptiles. The full-service veterinary hospital includes an in-house pharmacy and interactive and informative online resources for the clients’ convenience. … Bakery La Petite France opened at 419 E. Main St. in Ventura. The bakery/cafe offers breakfast and lunch, including a variety of freshly-made pastries, baguettes, croissants and more. Ventiki Polynesian Lounge and Eatery is scheduled to open in late March at 701 E. Main St. in Ventura. … Wise Tails Pet Boutique opened in Ojai at 203 N. Signal St. The boutique offers toys, treats, clothing and many other unique gifts for pets and pet lovers. … Bank of Books Outlet has scheduled a grand opening March 8-10 at the Channel Islands Shopping Center on 3757 Hemlock St. in Oxnard. The store will offer more than 125,000 books as well as records, videos and magazines, all ranging from 25 cents to $5.

And the award goes to …

Diane Loring

Diane Loring, the executive director of Women Involved in Sports Evolution (WISE), recently won two medals at the 2013 U.S. Open Taekwondo Championships. Loring, along with three other competitors who received medals, trains under Master Thu Huynh, owner of Double Dragon Taekwondo. … NeighborWorks America presented a National Community Building and Organizing Award to Ventura’s Kathryn Benner and Priscilla Cisneros. Benner and Cisneros are co-community building managers at Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation and were recognized for their commitment to community development. … Oxnard High School senior Paloma Guzman won first place in the local Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Business Competition. Guzman will participate in the regional competition in Los Angeles; she recently successfully explored her cupcake business idea with the help of NFTE. … The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues recently awarded the Unsung Hero Award to Joe Schroeder. Schroeder is the president and CEO of the Ventura County Credit Union and was honored for his more than 20 years of service and contributions to the community. … The Ventura Chamber of Commerce presented Island Packers with an award for February Business of the Month. Island Packers, family-owned since 1968, is now the exclusive boat concessionaire for the Channel Islands National Park. Last year, Island Packers had a record of 70,000 passengers on its boats for whale watching, hiking and camping on the Channel Islands, two catamarans from Ventura and one mono haul from Oxnard Harbor. A third new catamaran will arrive this April, with estimated growth of 25 percent hosting 87,000 passengers annually. … Ventura Limoncello Company received the Gold Medal at the Spirits of the Americas Competition. The company produces all-natural, handcrafted liqueurs and won the award for its Limoncello Originale. … The American Public Works Association presented the 2012 Project of the Year to CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI). CSUCI received the award in the Historical Restoration/Preservation category for its new four-lane entrance road, University Drive.

Moving up

Nurse Teresa Pavan was appointed as vice president and chief operating officer of Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice. Pavan will provide administrative oversight to Livingston, where she has worked for 13 years. … Attorney Lauren E. Sims is the new addition to law firm Ferguson Case Orr Paterson LLP, expanding the firm’s Business Transaction Department. Sims’ specialty is business law and intellectual property and she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics. … James A. Williams II was selected as Oxnard fire chief by Interim City Manager Karen Burnham. Williams was previously deputy chief of the Oakland Fire Department and had also served as the director of Operations Division, overseeing 25 fire stations. He will assume his new role in March. … Kathy Long and Sim Tang-Paradis were named as 2013’s board leaders for the Economic Development Collaborative-Ventura. Ventura County Supervisor Long will serve as board chair, and Tang-Paradis of City National Bank as vice chair. … Tri-Counties Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Association (SMACNA) appointed new officers to serve the nonprofit. Julie Edgar, Todd Henard, Abel Montiel, Jerry Anderson, Ross Lorenz and Stan Capelli will serve until Jan.2015, representing union sheet metal and air conditioning contractors.

Lauren E. Sims

Moving on

Diana Koranda, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Ventura, will retire at the end of March. Koranda has been with the club for 25 years and has overseen the opening of two centers and, currently, the construction of Ventura’s E.J. Harrison Family Youth Center.

Academics

Dr. Phil Hampton received the The Edwin Allen Kindberg Distinguished Engineering Service Award from the National Engineers Week Foundation. Hampton is a chemistry professor at CSU, Channel Islands, and he was honored for his efforts to promote science through outreach programs and partnerships. … California Lutheran University (CLU) named Gerhard Apfelthaler as the new dean of CLU’s School of Management. Apfelthaler will replace Charles Maxey on June 1. … The Mixteco Indigena Community Organizing Project recently announced the launch of Tequio Scholarship Fund, a new annual scholarship fund to help indigenous immigrant college students. The fund will provide individual grants to Ventura County students of Miztec or indigenous Mexican roots from Oaxaca and Guerrero. … The 32nd Ventura County Academic Decathlon was won by Westlake High School while Oxnard High School placed second and won the Super Quiz. Westlake’s Daniel Eaton earned the highest individual score. The state championship will be held March 14-17 in Sacramento. … Carolyn Gleisberg was recognized by the Ventura Commerce and Education Fund as February’s Teacher of the Month. Gleisberg is a second-grade teacher at Pierpont Elementary School who is actively involved in promoting reading through events and workshops.

In Memoriam

Captain John Duff

Retired Ventura City Fire Department (VFD) Captain John Duff passed away on Feb.16. Duff served the VFD from 1981 to 2010, when he retired due his battle with cancer. He expanded VFD’s Urban Search and Rescue team, participated in the Apparatus Committee designing new fire engines, was Fire Captain at the Fire Academy and an active board member of Ventura City Firefighters Association and other committees. Duff is survived by his wife, Diana, his children Ben, Hanna and Caleb.

In the news

Camarillo financial-services firm Edward Jones was named No. 8 on Fortune magazine’s “Top Best Companies to Work for 2013” list. Edward Jones was the highest-ranking financial-services firm and appeared on the list for the 14th time, ranking No. 3 in the large-company category.

Biz Buzz appears the first Thursday of each month. Send news of openings, changes and other things of interest to Editorial@ vcreporter.com.